Women's Lacrosse: Longwood tops Lafayette 16-4

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University women’s lacrosse team defeated Lafayette College 16-4 on Saturday afternoon at the Athletics Complex in Farmville on Senior Day. Junior Karli Brentlinger/Gambrills, Md. (South River) led Longwood with seven goals while junior Cara O’Brien/Arlington (Bishop O’Connell) added two goals and three assists. The Lancers (8-8) return to action next weekend, April 30-May 2, when they host the National Lacrosse Conference tournament at the Athletics Complex in Farmville.

O’Brien scored 40 seconds into the game and Lafayette answered just six seconds later to tie the game at 1-1. Neither team scored for the next 5:30 when junior Morgan Illian/Salisbury, Md. (Parkside) scored for Longwood. The Lancers scored the next five goals, including two by Karli Brentlinger and a pair by junior Kesley Dean/Centreville, Md. (Queen Anne’s) to take the 7-1 lead with 12:33 remaining in the first half. Lafayette (3-15) stopped Longwood’s run with a goal with 11:10 remaining in the half to make the score 7-2. Karli Brentlinger scored her third goal of the game with 9:33 remaining to put Longwood ahead 8-2. The Leopards scored with 0:03 remaining in the half to cut the halftime deficit to 8-3.

Neither team scored in the first nine minutes of the second half before Karli Brentlinger scored a pair of goals. Illian added one goal with 17:35 remaining and Karli Brentlinger scored two more goals to put Longwood ahead 13-3 with 14:25 left in the game. Lafayette scored one goal but the Lancers answered with the final three goals of the game, two of them by O’Brien, to win 16-4.

Longwood was led by Karli Brentlinger with seven goals on nine shots. O’Brien added two goals and three assists while Dean had two goals with one assist. Illian had two goals and a team-high three caused turnovers. Senior Eliza Coughter/Charlottesville (Charlottesville) played all 60 minutes in goal and had six saves and allowed four goals.

Senior Page Farmer/Richmond (St. Catherine’s) has appeared in all 65 games during her career at Longwood and had one assist and a team-high three draw controls. Seniors Carlie Nethken/Hanover, Md. (Long Reach) and Christine Comeau/Whitby, Ontario (Sinclair Secondary School) have also played in all 65 games. Nethken picked up two ground balls and had one draw control while Comeau had one assist, three ground balls and caused two turnovers.

Lafayette was led by Ana Drehwing with two goals and two draw controls. Lauren Brown added three draw controls while Caitlin Mitchell and Emily Bjork each had three ground balls. Bjork had 10 saves in goal.

Longwood out-shot Lafayette 32-14 and had a 24-15 advantage in ground balls. Lafayette edged the Lancers 11-10 in draw controls. Longwood went 3-for-7 on free position shots and only turned the ball over 14 times.